Yet another Auckland coastal campground goes on the market

Media Release

111.2016

Caption: The Big Bay Holiday Park land, buildings and business have been placed on the market for sale.

Yet another Auckland coastal campground goes on the market for sale

Yet another coastal Auckland campground has been placed on the market for sale.

The land, buildings and business supporting the Big Bay Holiday Park on the shores of the Manukau Harbour is the latest location to join a growing list of seaside vacation venues going up for sale.

Big Bay Holiday Park on Awhitu Peninsula on the southern side of Manukau Harbor, is spread over 1.52 hectares of land and contains a multitude of accommodation options ranging from powered tent and caravan sites through to budget cabins.

The site has been operating as a campground for 36 years – establishing a ‘core’ group of holidaymakers who camp at the holiday park every Christmas/New Year break. Current owners Ian and Helen Parry have run the site as a ‘lifestyle business’ for the past 14 years.

The seaside campground enterprise some 90 minutes drive south of Auckland CBD is a virtual ’turn-key’ operation - coming complete with all operating infrastructure, including:

· 50 individual grassed sites for tent campers, caravans and camper vans

· Seven kitchenette cabins

· Three fully self-contained units with their own kitchen and bathroom facilities

· A general store/camp management office which doubles up as the settlement’s corner dairy

· A three-bedroom owner/manager’s house with elevated views out to the Manukau Harbour.

· A take-away fish and chip outlet serving both campers and the local community

· A communal toilet and bathroom block

· Parking for boats on trailers.

and

· A communal cooking facility – supported fridges, freezers, electric hobs and microwave ovens.

The Big Bay Holiday Park freehold land, buildings and business are being marketed for sale by negotiation through Bayleys Counties salespeople Ben Jameson and Shane Snijder.

Mr Jameson said trading accounts showed the campground’s busiest occupancy period was from the week before Christmas through until the beginning of February when the school year began.

Big Bay Holiday Park is staffed throughout the year by the husband and wife duo of Ian and Helen on a rostered basis - with additional part-time cleaning and administration workers brought in over the busier summer months between December and February.

Mr Jameson said there were numerous future opportunities for the camp ground to grow its revenue streams. The business is being sold as a going concern - with the majority of sites already booked for the coming summer.

“Big Bay Holiday Park could remain in its current format – creating acceptable ‘lifestyle’ returns for the on-site owner/operators. Alternatively, it could be expanded – either adding more budget cabins, adding units with greater degrees of guest comforts, or establishing a cafe,” Mr Jameson said.

“Moving up the add-value ladder, the flat topography of the park would perfectly suit the trend of accommodating refurbished 40 – 60 foot stainless steel shipping containers transformed into chic baches which can be easily transported on and off most sites in a similar way to caravans…..except that they are transported on the back of trucks.

“At the pinnacle of future-use opportunities, and of course subject to council consents, is the potential to build more salubrious permanent dwellings which could either be run as privately-owned or leased residences for exclusive use, or placed into the holiday park’s main accommodation pool when not utilised by the owners.

“Obviously the returns increase as the level of guest services and comforts increase,” Mr Jamieson said.

The marketing of the Big Bay Holiday Park follows on the recent sale of a similar nearby recreational camping and caravan park which sold.

Port Waikato Holiday Park - just around the Manukau Harbour headlands from Big Bay - was bought by local Iwi Ngati Karewa and Ngati Tahinga in September. The two organisations have expressed an intention to continue operating the park for recreational purposes in the immediate future, with the option of developing social housing for kaumatua over the longer-term.

Like Big Bay Holiday Park, the Pork Waikato camping and cabin amenity featured a range of self-contained accommodation units as well as communal kitchen and bathroom amenities, and an owner/manager’s residence. Big Bay Holiday Park has a council rating valuation of $1.125 million for the land and buildings alone, without the business.

Mr Snijder said there were some 800 square metres of buildings in the Big Bay Holiday Park site, which is zoned rural 1A. The business had guaranteed income from 14 long-term leases to caravan and semi-permanent dwelling owners who have chosen to leave their vehicles and portable structures permanently on site.

He added that the camp’s location just 100 metres from the shores of the Manukau Harbour was not only a natural scenic attraction, but also an added benefit for those sleeping ‘under canvas’.

“The sand-based soil strata beneath Big Bay Holiday Park means the water table drains quickly in times of heavy rainfall – which is an obvious benefit for those in tents who get caught in summer downpours,” he said.

© Scoop Media